AIBU to think not everyone can be skinny?

Healthy weight should be the goal.
But, yes - everyone can be skinny.

Same

I think everyone has a natural body shape. Some people are short and stocky, some are tall and thin - and to a certain extent you can't change that. If you are broad shouldered and big boned then that's what you are.

I was always pear shaped - flat chested, flat stomach, big hips. It doesn't matter how much weight I lose I'm still going to have wider hipbones and a flat chest. My older sister is busty - when she's lost loads of weight she has had tiny hips - but has still got boobs.

I think I'd describe skinny as underweight and slim as a healthy BMI.

I was skinny and underweight up until 40 despite eating whatever I wanted and doing very little exercise. It wasnt a healthy BMI by definition however my overall health was still good. It is my natural state and I feel quite confident that none of my friends could have become as skinny as me no matter how hard they tried, unless very ill. Skinny isn't realistic for a lot of people.

Purely with age (no real change to lifestyle) I am now in the normal BMI range albeit at the lower end, and would describe myself as slim. I could put another stone on and still be a healthy BMI and look slimmer than other people but they could well be a lot healthier than me in reality and it would be more than what I should be taking into account my frame.

Everyone has a different build. Some people will always look a bit chunky due to their proportions. You're quite short so you may struggle to 'carry' extra weight. I'm tall but heavily built, so even when I'm a healthy weight I never look slim. Reality of life, YANBU

I think anyone can be 'skinny' - lock any one of us in a room without food and eventually we'll get there. Or transport us back in time 500 years, or have us grow all our own food, or give us a personal chef to prepare perfectly balanced meals for us and yes, I think we would all lose weight.

The question is in the real world can we lose weight while staying mentally and physically healthy.

For example, some people manage to lose weight successfully using intermittent fasting, while for others that strategy might trigger an eating disorder.

Also, depending on your metabolic health, some people need much more extreme measures to lose weight than others.

So I agree that it isn't an even playing field and some people have an easier time if it than others. But YABU saying that it is impossible for some people to lose weight no matter what.

At my slimmest (as an adult) I weighed 10st 3, wore size 10 jeans. I’m 5ft 4. Try as I might (weights and cardio 4x pw, eggs and grapefruit, no booze) I couldn’t get below 10st 3. I’ve got big boobs and at that size I was a total hourglass. I’ve never been slim much less skinny

I mean arguable they could if they starved themselves. But why would anyone want to be underweight? People should aim to be healthy and strong and neither too skinny nor too big.

People's bones and organs and genes and lifetime habits play a lot of a part. But if you consistently eat way too little anyone could be skinny.

I thing everyone (excluding heath issues) can be skinny but it can be a lot of work and an ongoing lifestyle once you get there and you'll need to decide whether that's what you want. For reference I'm 5ft9 and when I am 55 kg I am skinny, currently need to lose 3kg to get there.

I'm happy with where I am now, because I'm very fit and toned, but when I dropped weight and got down to 8 stone 4 it came off my face and people thought I was ill. People were STILL surprised when they saw me in a fitted dress though! And people seem to think I'm short, even though I'm above average height for a woman, and it's because my legs are short. My proportions are off and it throws the eye - that's my answer anyway!

I’m 5’6 and 7st11 and I still get people saying I am healthy and slim. Bloody annoys me because I have to be very underweight (around 6st11) to be called skinny! Broad shouldered, wide ribs and an athletic build make me feel huge no matter what.

You are a healthy weight - that’s brilliant.

A healthy weight range is 107lbs to 140lbs and you are 133lbs. You are in the top quartile of healthy. I would expect most people who looked slim to be in the bottom half - not everyone, but most. It really does depend on your body shape and where you store your fat.

FYI I envy you a little. I’m the same height and working very hard at loosing weight. I’m currently 10st 5. My goal is your 133lbs…

I have another check I’m working to. Your waist should be under half your height - so I’m aiming for 30”. As I get to my 133lbs goal, I may have to carry on (with exercise as well) until my waist is slim enough. Oh well! Onwards and downwards.

I'm 5'8 and have been a size 18 even after losing weight and have sort of stayed the same, I am very built and go to the gym but the build is natural, I find it ridiculously hard to lose weight due to my build/if I do I just look more built (which I hate) everyone has taken the mick my whole life for having rugby player shoulders and wide hips 😒 my aunt is a personal trainer and came to the gym with me, she even said due to my build I'm never going to look skinny

I’m “skinny”

5ft8 and a size 6/8 I would love to gain some weight but am finding it impossible to do 😞

Im the smallest size Ive ever been in my adult life - still carrying a belly - it won't go and Im not even going to fight it

5ft 2 and hover around 9st 4 - if Im careful. To stay at that I do have to watch what I eat, which I do 80% of the time. Truth is I do like biscuits and crisps and bread and sometimes only a biscuit will do. Only once I start I dont stop at one and a packet will be gone within the day, same as white bread and crisps So I avoid as a rule. I cant imagine having to cut more from my diet just to look slim. Im healthy and fit - that's good enough for me

BMI doesn't take muscles into account either. 2 women wearing exact same size clothes, same measurements if you want, but one is just muscle, the other not toned at all won't have the same BMI, it will be higher for the one very toned.

Also well done OP - it’s hard to lose weight and you must be pleased with what you achieved!

When you see those photos with people who are the same weight and height side by side you release how much we all vary. It’s not just about body composition, build, muscle v fat etc. some of it is just people carrying weight differently!

I was slim my whole life, the past few years and menopause has been cruel to me ( and the sweets, cakes etc). A couple of years ago I worked my ass off and denied myself the aforementioned goodies for 3 months. To no avail 😱.
I have made my peace (ish)with this new me.
Now I just want to be fitter and care less about not being as slim.
I think the older you get a wee bit extra looks better than being too skinny

I needed another stone off to feel slim. The bmi range is quite wide. Maybe someone can advise why that is.

Because frame sizes vary. Not everyone’s skeleton is exactly the same size, not everyone has a tiny birdlike frame.

I'm your height and have recently lost weight so have monitored each stone as I've reached it. At 9.7 I was still a size 12 which isn't 'slim'.

I needed another stone off to feel slim. The bmi range is quite wide. Maybe someone can advise why that is.

I could go as low as another stone off, and still be in my range but I know for a fact , I'd look scrawny etc.

I think what you are probably looking for is being lean rather than skinny.

what exercise do you do? If you want lean muscle you need to weight train.

i would recommend Growingannanas and Caroline Girvan.

Well I know Wallace Sumpson was famous for her " you can never be too rich or too thin."quotation.
But I was a teenager in the Twiggy era and her type of skinninesss was generally looked upon as quite shocking among my contemporaries and certainly not something we aspired to.

YABU for using the word skinny to mean slim. Anyone who tries to be skinny is by definition aiming to be underweight and unhealthy. Your goal should be an optimal BMI for health reasons, nothing lower.